Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the reduction of the plug-in vehicle grant will effect meeting their carbon reduction targets.

baroness sugg: No such assessment has been made. The Plug-in Car Grant has helped the plug-in hybrid market become more established, and the Government will now focus its support on zero emission models like pure electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars. We want to see at least 50%, and as many as 70%, of new car sales being ultra low emission by 2030. This is in line with the Committee for Climate Change progress report. The Government will continue to work with industry to achieve our ambitions, and will review progress towards them by 2025.

Bembridge Harbour

lord whitty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to appoint an inspector to review the compliance of the current owners Bembridge Harbour, and their related companies, with (1) the Piers and Harbour Order (Bembridge Harbour) Confirmation Act 1963, and (2) the Department for Transport's Ports good governance guide.

baroness sugg: The Secretary of State for Transport has no plans to appoint any inspector to consider matters relating to Bembridge Harbour. The Department has received correspondence from some stakeholders in respect of the harbour, which is receiving consideration and will be responded to in due course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Competition

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Ofgem’s plans to encourage competition amongst energy suppliers to help cut costs for customers.

lord henley: The Government is supportive of Ofgem’s interventions to make the energy retail market more competitive, for example the disengaged customer database, their customer engagement prompts and their faster and more reliable switching programme. Customers can save around £300 if they switch from a Standard Variable Tariff to a cheaper market alternative. The Government will also be working with Ofgem on a joint review of the retail market to promote competition and drive innovation.

Copyright

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK will remain in the EU’s regional copyright exhaustion regime following the UK’s exit from the EU.

lord henley: The Withdrawal Agreement ensures that during the implementation period arrangements for the exhaustion of rights, including copyright, will remain the same. This will provide legal certainty and protect the interests of rights holders. The specifics of our future relationship with the EU after the end of the implementation period will be the subject of detailed negotiations with the EU.

Copyright

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is being consulted as part of the Intellectual Property Office’s consultation into the UK’s future copyright exhaustion regime.

lord henley: All government departments with an expressed interest on this issue, including the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, are being consulted.

Copyright: Electronic Publishing

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has conducted an impact assessment on allowing the doctrine of exhaustion of rights to apply to ebooks in the same way it does to physical books.

lord henley: The current EU exhaustion regime, which has already been implemented into UK law, will be retained in UK law after the UK leaves the EU, subject to any amendments necessary to ensure it functions appropriately. The Government has no plans to change this regime with regards to ebooks, and so has not conducted impact assessments on any possible changes.

Copyright: Electronic Publishing

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has any plans to extend the exhaustion of rights principle to ebooks.

lord henley: The current EU exhaustion regime, which has already been implemented into UK law, will be retained in UK law after the UK leaves the EU, subject to any amendments necessary to ensure it functions appropriately. The Government has no plans to change this regime with regards to ebooks.

Chemicals

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit on the supply chain of chemicals.

lord henley: On 28th November 2018 the Government laid before Parliament the following document intended to facilitate parliamentary scrutiny ahead of the vote on the final deal: “EU Exit: Long-term economic analysis”. This has been published on GOV.UK and copies have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses. The Government has therefore delivered on its commitment to provide Parliament with a robust, objective assessment of how exiting the EU may affect the economy of the UK, sectors (including chemicals), nations and regions in the long run.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Bangladesh: Elections

lord hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Bangladesh to ensure that the forthcoming general election in that country is held in conditions which are free, fair, and without violence.

lord hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of the forthcoming general election in Bangladesh involving a broad range of political parties.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The British Government has been clear and consistent that we wish to see a free, fair, pluralistic and non-violent election in Bangladesh on 30 December. We have repeatedly encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end. I am pleased that the opposition group, the Jatiya Oikya Front, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have said they would take part in the election.Through our High Commission in Dhaka we have been clear that the Election Commission should be allowed to continue its important work without interference. We have consistently made the case for international oversight of the election and the EU has agreed to send an Election Expert Mission. The UK will also support local observation of the general election through a Department for International Development-funded programme.The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns regarding the next election in Bangladesh with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met at the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September. In a call on 1 November with State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, again made the case for a free, fair and participatory election. As did I when I spoke to him on the 23 November.

Bangladesh: Elections

lord hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support civil society and media organisations in Bangladesh ahead of the forthcoming general election.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain very concerned by continuing restrictions on freedom of expression in Bangladesh. The Digital Security Act has attracted significant Civil Society and media criticism in Bangladesh. There are fears that the vagueness of its provisions could be used to prosecute a range of behaviours, and that its sentences are disproportionate. On 27 September, the UK, along with other EU Missions in Dhaka, issued a statement raising concerns that the Act could undermine freedom of expression. Subsequently, the Acting High Commissioner met the Bangladeshi Information Minister on 9 October to emphasise our concerns. Bangladesh remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We raised freedom of expression as a key concern in Bangladesh during the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.I am clear that the UK wants to see a free, fair and pluralistic general election in Bangladesh, and continuing restrictions on freedom of expression will have a negative impact on that election. Ministers and our High Commission in Dhaka have consistently encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, raised his concerns regarding the election with Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, in a call on 1 November. As did I when I spoke to him on the 23 November. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met on 24 September at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Bangladesh: Elections

lord hussain: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, with international partners, to monitor the forthcoming general election in Bangladesh.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government has consistently made the case for international independent oversight of the election and the EU has agreed to send an Election Expert Mission. The UK will also support local observation of the general election through a Department for International Development-funded programme.I am clear that the UK wants to see a free, fair and inclusive election in Bangladesh and Ministers and officials in our High Commission in Dhaka have consistently encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, raised his concerns regarding the election with Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, in a call on 1 November. As did I when I spoke to him on the 23 November. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met on 24 September at the UN General Assembly in New York

Import Controls: Israeli Settlements

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory have been banned from entering the UK in the last two years.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We understand the concerns of people who do not wish to purchase goods exported from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). It was in order to enable consumers to make a more fully informed decision concerning the products they buy that, in December 2009, the UK introduced voluntary guidelines to enable produce from Israeli settlements in the OPTs to be specifically labelled as such. We also welcomed the European Commission’s decision of November 2015 to issue indication of origin guidelines for products produced in Israeli settlements. However the UK does not ban the import of settlement products and as such we do not have a record of how many times goods from Israeli settlements in the OPTs have been banned from entering the UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit: Gibraltar

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to continue to include Gibraltar in (1) the Article 3 definition section, and (2) Article 184 of the future framework section, of the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

lord callanan: Article 3 of the Withdrawal Agreement published on 26 November clearly states that Gibraltar is covered to the extent that Union Law applied to it before. Article 184, which records the UK and the EU’s commitment to negotiate in good faith and conclude agreements envisaged by the Political Declaration on their future relationship within a certain time frame, imposes no obligations regarding the territorial scope of future agreements. This is the EU and the UK’s shared interpretation. The government has also been clear that the UK will negotiate future agreements on behalf of all territories for whose external relations it is responsible.

Overseas Workers: Northern Ireland

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether residents of Northern Ireland who work in the Republic of Ireland for less than half of the working week would be classified as frontier workers, as defined by article 9(b) of the draft agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

lord callanan: The Withdrawal Agreement provides for the maintenance of the Common Travel Area arrangements, so British and Irish citizens will continue to be able to live and work in each other’s state just as they do now.

Overseas Workers: EU Countries

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the definition of "economic activity" for the purposes of article 9 of thedraft agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

lord callanan: Article 9(a)(b) of the draft Withdrawal Agreement provides a definition of ‘frontier workers.’ “Frontier workers” are persons who pursue an economic activity in accordance with the provisions set out in Article 45 or 49 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) in one or more States in which they do not reside.Economic activity is activity provided for remuneration. For the purposes of Article 9, economic activity must be in accordance with the provisions set out in Articles 45 or 49 TFEU.To be exercising an economic activity as a worker in accordance with Article 45 TFEU a person must be a ‘genuine and effective’ worker and the work must not be on such a small scale so as to be ‘purely marginal or ancillary’Article 49 TFEU provides for the freedom of establishment. A person is established in a particular state if they are participating ‘on a stable and continuous basis’ in the economic life of that State. If a person is providing temporary services they will not fall within the definition in Article 9(a)(b).

Brexit

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theDraft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, published on 14 November, what discussions they have had with the Welsh and Scottish Governments concerning their representation in the proposed Joint Committee provided by Article 164.

lord callanan: The UK Government has been clear from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in the process of our Exit from the European Union and we remain committed to this.Regular discussions are held between the UK Government and the Welsh and Scottish Governments on EU Exit. There have now been fifteen meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations. It met most recently on 19 November 2018 and continues to meet on a monthly basis.

Brexit

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theDraft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, published on 14 November, whether, under Article 169, the Scottish and Welsh Governmentsmay be regarded as a party wishing to commence consultations.

lord callanan: The UK Government will represent all parts of the UK in all discussions at the Joint Committee, this includes any consultations as set out in Article 169. The UK Government remains committed to engaging with the devolved administrations on EU Exit. Ministers have regular discussions with the Welsh and Scottish governments, including through the Joint Ministerial Committees and the Ministerial Forum on EU Negotiations.

Brexit

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Explainer for the agreement on the withdrawal ofthe United Kingdom of Great Britain and NorthernIreland from the European Union, published on 14 November, which established practices and conventions they will seek to follow in regard to seeking the consent of devolved legislatures; and who will determine whether such action is deemed to be relevant.

lord callanan: The EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill is an essential part of our preparations for a smooth and orderly exit from the EU. The Bill will implement our international commitments - set out in the Withdrawal Agreement - into UK law. Certain provisions of the Bill are likely to engage the conventions and practices under which the UK Government will normally seek the legislative consent of the devolved legislatures. Although the Bill is still developing, we will seek legislative consent for those provisions in the Bill if they engage these conventions and related practices.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dental Health: Antibiotics

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of trends in primary care dental antibiotic prescribing in England since 2013.

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many childrenwere prescribed antibiotics for dental problems in England in each of the last five years.

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany childrenwere prescribed more than one course of antibiotics for dental problems in England in each of the last five years.

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the potential impact of prescribing antibiotics to children while they wait for hospital tooth extractions due to tooth decay on (1) their immune system, and (2) the levels of antimicrobial resistance more widely.

lord o'shaughnessy: The English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance Report 2018 provides information on National Health Service dental prescribing in dental practices and consultations. From 2013 to 2017, the trend of antimicrobial prescriptions which includes antibiotics, continued to decrease by 24.8%. The number of daily defined doses of antimicrobials per 1,000 inhabitants per day prescribed by dentists was 0.19 in 2013 and 0.16 in 2016; with an 8.3% decrease from 2016 to 2017. The decline was largely attributed to less amoxicillin being prescribed between 2013 and 2017. A copy of the report is attached.Information on how many children have been prescribed antibiotics or more than one course of antibiotics for dental problems in England over the last five years is not available as this data is not collected.No assessment has been made of the potential impact of prescribing antibiotics to children who are waiting for tooth extractions due to tooth decay on their immune system and the levels of antimicrobial resistance.



Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance Report
(PDF Document, 2.01 MB)

Dental Health: Antibiotics

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patients presented to Accident and Emergency departments in England with dental problems in each of the last five years; and, in each year, how many of themwere prescribed antibiotics.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Department does not hold information on whether patients have been prescribed antibiotics following an attendance at an accident and emergency department.

DeepMind

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what independent verification is in place to make sure that the NHS data handled by DeepMind Health will be used only for appropriate purposes now that DeepMind Health is no longer a separate subsidiary of Google but has been fully integrated.

lord o'shaughnessy: We will work with regulators including the Health Research Agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Information Commissioner’s Office, and with the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to ensure anything that happens as a result of the transfer of Streams respects patients’ privacy and complies fully with the law.

Gambling: Children

lord chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what specialist treatment is available to children with gambling problems, in particular to support any associated mental health issues.

lord o'shaughnessy: The Government is committed to supporting all those identified as suffering from problems with gambling. Dedicated treatment for gambling disorders is commissioned by GambleAware who fund the National Gambling Helpline and commission a national network of treatment services, mostly through GamCare, which are locally accessible across Great Britain and are available to people of any age, including young people. Children with gambling problems can also access treatment in primary and secondary care, which includes specialised mental health services.

Dental Health: Antibiotics

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many antibiotic prescriptions were issued by general dental practitioners in England in each of the last five years.

lord colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of all antibiotic prescriptions in England were issued by general dental practitioners in each of the last five years.

lord o'shaughnessy: Information on the numbers of prescriptions for all antimicrobials, including antibiotics, issued by general dental practitioners is only available for the complete years of 2016 and 2017. In these years 3,198,411 and 2,977,302 National Health Service prescriptions were issued respectively. From 2013 to 2017, the trend of antimicrobial prescriptions continued to decrease by 24.8%. The number of daily defined doses of antimicrobials per 1,000 inhabitants per day prescribed by dentists was 0.19 in 2013 and 0.16 in 2016; with an 8.3% decrease from 2016 to 2017. In the previous five years the proportions of daily defined doses of antibiotics issued by general dental practitioners out of all prescriptions, from hospital inpatients and outpatients, general medical practitioners and other community practitioners, were 4.8% in 2013, 4.8% in 2014, 4.5% in 2015, 4.6% in 2016, 5.2% in 2017.

Department for Education

Music: Curriculum

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they hold related to the delivery of the Music National Curriculum in England in (1) primary schools, and (2) secondary schools.

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the teaching of music in academies across all key stages, and particularly in key stage 3.

lord agnew of oulton: Music is compulsory in the national curriculum for 5 to 14 year olds. Data from the Omnibus Survey in 2017 reveals that the average amount of teaching time in primary schools was broadly similar to the amount of time spent teaching history and geography. At secondary schools, the data from the school workforce census shows that the proportion of time spent teaching music between 2010 and 2017 has remained broadly stable. In 2010 2.4% of total teaching hours were spent teaching music, compared with 2.3% in 2017. Full details are in the table below. Proportion of total teaching hours spent on music in years 7-13 in state-funded secondary schools per week201020112012201320142015201620172.4%2.4%2.4%2.4%2.4%2.4%2.3%2.3% The network of music education hubs have four core roles, including ensuring that every child aged 5-18 has the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument in whole classes. Data published recently by Arts Council England shows that in 2016-17, 91% of primary schools and 88% of secondary schools worked with their music education hub on at least one of the hubs’ core roles. It also shows that 711,241 pupils in state-funded schools learned to play instruments in lessons for whole classes that were provided or supported by music education hubs. Academies are not obliged to follow the national curriculum, but they are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Parliamentary Estate: Repairs and Maintenance

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the estimated cost to the House of (1) restoration, (2) repair, and (3) fire protection work underway in (a) the Palace of Westminster, (b) Fielden House, and (c) Millbank House.

lord mcfall of alcluith: ‘Restoration’ has been taken to include work currently underway on the Estate to restore or conserve areas of the historic building fabric, including but not limited to the restoration work in Westminster Hall and the Encaustic Tile project. It does not include the estimated costs of the Restoration and Renewal Programme. ‘Repair’ includes project works underway on the estate but does not include general day to day maintenance. Fire protection work costs are based on the Fire Life Safety Works Programme.  Palace of WestminsterMillbank HouseFielden HouseRestorationExternal Courtyards Conservation work (Phase 1) current approved cost: £20.2m; Westminster Hall current approved cost: £12.1m (subject to review); Elizabeth Tower current approved cost: £61.1m (subject to review); Cast Iron Roofs current approved cost: £84.4m; Encaustic Tiles current approved cost: £14.3m.There is no restoration work currently underway.There is no restoration work currently underway.RepairWorks to the Palace in 2017/18 totalled £2m; works in 2018/19 are forecast to cost £2.8m.Works to 5 Great College Street and its integration into Millbank House total £42.9m.Planning is underway for the refurbishment of Fielden House. Surveying work is expected to commence in December 2018. The surveying working is required to finalise the business case. Until it is finalised it is not possible to provide an estimate.Fire ProtectionThe approved business cases forecast expenditure of £90m for fire safety work underway in the Palace of Westminster. The forecast expenditure of a project within the Fire Safety programme is currently being revised.The cost of fire protection in the Great College Street area of Millbank House has been integrated into the project itself and therefore is included in the repair figure above. The cost of Fire Protection in 1&2 Millbank is currently forecast at £1.6m excluding risk and optimism bias (OB) and £2.1m including risk and OB.The cost of making Fielden House Fire Life Safety compliant will form part of the refurbishment project. Therefore, it is not possible currently to confirm how much it will cost.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Children

the lord bishop of portsmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to postpone the extension of the policy to provide support to a maximum of two children to new Universal Credit claimants.

baroness buscombe: The policy aims to strike the appropriate balance between support for claimants with children and fairness to taxpayers and families with children who support themselves solely through work. A benefits structure that adjusts automatically to family size is ultimately not sustainable, and parents who support themselves solely through work would not generally expect to see their wages increase simply because of the addition of a new child to their family. There are exceptions in place to support those unable to make choices about the number of children in their household.

Department for Work and Pensions: Allowances

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Buscombe on 19 November (HL11445), what is the maximum level of lodging expenses per night Department for Work and Pensions officials can claim when they have longer term arrangements for detached duty.

baroness buscombe: The maximum amount of lodging expenses is £53 per night in London and £37 per night elsewhere.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Waste

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made to reduce levels of household food waste through the Waste and Resources Action Programme in the last 12 months.

lord gardiner of kimble: Food waste is a financial and environmental issue, but the UK has made good progress with total food waste in the UK reducing by 14% per person between 2007 and 2015 (post-farm gate). Household food waste accounts for around 70% of total food waste in the UK, and householders spend £15 billion every year on food that could have been eaten but ends up being thrown away. Food waste prevention is one of the Waste and Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) key priorities. Action to reduce levels of household food waste is being taken in two ways:through the Love Food Hate Waste consumer behaviour change campaign; andunder WRAP’s voluntary agreement, the Courtauld Commitment 2025, which aims to cut the carbon and waste associated with food & drink by at least one fifth over a decade. Courtauld 2025 will publish interim progress results in 2019 and 2022, and final results in 2026. Quantitative data is not, therefore, currently available in relation to progress made over the last 12 months. Over the last 12 months, WRAP’s activities to reduce household food waste have been focused on two key areas: behavioural change interventions and national communications. WRAP has developed a set of behavioural change interventions and technical changes that can work in-store and at home, which focus on people buying what they need and using what they buy. WRAP has also been increasing awareness through mini-campaigns under Love Food Hate Waste. The latest mini-campaign, ‘Chill the Fridge Out’, launched on World Food Day (16 October).

Bovine Tuberculosis Strategy Review

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to consult (1) animal welfare organisations, (2) vets, and (3) the farming community on the implications of the Godfray Report,A Strategy for achieving Bovine Tuberculosis free status for England: 2018 review, published on 16 November.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government has consulted extensively on the development and implementation of its strategy for achieving bovine tuberculosis free status for England. Additionally Professor Godfray and his team ran a public call for evidence and met a number of stakeholders, including animal welfare, veterinary and farming interests, as part of their independent review of the strategy. The Government is engaging with stakeholders as it considers its response to the review.

Home Office

Sir Edward Heath

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the cost of Operation Conifer was funded by (1) Wiltshire and Swindon police force, and (2) the Government under special funding arrangements.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office only holds information in relation to the additional costs of Operation Conifer. We do not have details of opportunity costs incurred (i.e. the costs of officers whilst on their regular duties). Opportunity costs are met by the force through general funding.In relation to the additional costs:• The Home Office provided £1.1 million in Special Grant funding.• Wiltshire Police made a contribution of £0.2 million (equivalent to 15 per cent of the additional costs total).

Sir Edward Heath

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the proposal by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon in his most recent annual report for a public inquiry into Operation Conifer.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has given careful consideration to this issue and has concluded that there are no grounds to justify a public inquiry into Operation Conifer.Cost was not a factor in that decision and insufficient assessment of the cost of such an inquiry has been carried out.

Cabinet Office

Emergencies: Mobile Phones

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Young of Cookham on 5 July (HL Deb, cols 766–70), what progress has been made in the introduction of mobile alert technology.

lord young of cookham: Cabinet Office is working with the Home Office and the police to explore the types of emergency where a national mobile alerting system can add value, beyond the mobile alerting schemes already in place in the UK. In order to inform any technical solution, these emergency scenarios will be explored in depth to establish where and when in the evolution of an incident a mobile alerting scheme offers the best opportunity to reduce harm to citizens.Once we have fully assessed the need for an alerting scheme further work would be undertaken including exploring how situational awareness might be obtained, thresholds for activation and how the content of alert messages stands the best chance of eliciting helpful behaviours from the recipients. This is not without complexity since in terrorist-related incidents the protagonists will also receive the same message. Additionally, a scheme used for major incidents stands the chance of being used infrequently. To ensure effectiveness, there will be a need for a carefully managed media campaigns.

Carillion: Insolvency

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at the Business Services Association Annual Chairman’s Dinner on 19 November, what "key information’ would have "smoothed the management of liquidation" following the collapse of Carillion.

lord young of cookham: The Government maintained the continuity of key public services after Carillion announced its decision to initiate insolvency proceedings in January 2018. The Official Receiver was appointed by the court as liquidator, along with PwC as Special Managers.The Government took immediate action to minimise the impact on employees and employers by providing reassurance that those working on public sector contracts would continue to be paid and providing the necessary funding required to maintain public services while Carillion’s public sector contracts were transferred to alternative providers.In future we will require, all providers of critical services to provide sufficient management information, for example, corporate structure, intra-group trading arrangements and dependencies (including details of shared services), key subcontractor and workforce information.

Government Departments: Contracts

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at the Business Services Association Annual Chairman’s Dinner on 19 November, what are the Key Performance Indicators for critical government contracts; which contracts the Key Performance Indicators will apply to; and whether there will be a statutory duty on suppliers to publish Key Performance Indicators.

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at the Business Services Association Annual Chairman’s Dinner on 19 November, how the Key Performance Indicators for critical government contracts were selected; which stakeholders were consulted; and whether the Key Performance Indicators will be reviewed.

lord young of cookham: We will be publishing performance data on our most important contracts in the coming months and are currently working with departments and industry to finalise the details of publication. The published performance data will be contract specific and depend on the service provision.

Government Departments: Contracts

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at the Business Services Association Annual Chairman’s Dinner on 19 November, what criteria determined the selection of Serco, Capita, Sopra Steria, Engie and Interserve in producing the first set of "living wills".

lord young of cookham: Serco, Capita, Sopra Steria, Engie and Interserve all volunteered to pilot the use of “living wills”. We will reflect the results of this pilot as we deploy “living wills” across all suppliers providing critical services.

Government Departments: Contracts

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech given by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at the Business Services Association Annual Chairman’s Dinner on 19 November, for how long the Cabinet Office anticipates that pilots of new outsourced services will last.

lord young of cookham: The nature of the pilots for new outsourced services will depend on the specific service provision. Individual departments will consider the most appropriate route and timeframe for piloting new outsourced services as part of the Business Case approval process which will include the appropriate governance and approval process in departments and central approvals through HM Treasury and Cabinet Office.

Ministers: Resignations

lord tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government which ministers, set out by name and by ministerial responsibility, have resigned from office since the 2017 General Election.

lord young of cookham: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 04 December 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The following ministers have resigned from office since the formation of the Government on 11 June 2017: Lord Price CVO, former Minister of State for Trade PolicyLord Nash, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School SystemThe Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St. Johns DBE, former Minister of State for Exiting the European UnionThe Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, former Secretary of State for DefenceThe Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, former Secretary of State for International DevelopmentThe Rt Hon Damian Green MP, former First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet OfficeThe Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, former Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and EqualitiesBaroness Chisholm of Owlpen, former Baroness in Waiting (Government Whip)The Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, former Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and EqualitiesDr Philip Lee MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Youth Justice, Victims, Female Offenders and Offender HealthThe Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, former Minister for Trade PolicyThe Rt Hon David Davis MP, former Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionThe Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, former Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsSteve Baker MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionAndrew Griffiths MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Small Business Consumers and Corporate ResponsibilityGuto Bebb MP, former Minister for Defence ProcurementTracey Crouch MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport and Civil SocietyJo Johnson MP, former Minister of State for Transport and Minister for LondonThe Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, former Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionThe Rt Hon Esther McVey MP, former Secretary of State for Work and PensionsSuella Braverman MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionShailesh Vara MP, former Minister of State for Northern IrelandSam Gyimah MP, former Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation

lord young of cookham: The following ministers have resigned from office since the formation of the Government on 11 June 2017: Lord Price CVO, former Minister of State for Trade PolicyLord Nash, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School SystemThe Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St. Johns DBE, former Minister of State for Exiting the European UnionThe Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, former Secretary of State for DefenceThe Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, former Secretary of State for International DevelopmentThe Rt Hon Damian Green MP, former First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet OfficeThe Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, former Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and EqualitiesBaroness Chisholm of Owlpen, former Baroness in Waiting (Government Whip)The Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP, former Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and EqualitiesDr Philip Lee MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Youth Justice, Victims, Female Offenders and Offender HealthThe Rt Hon Greg Hands MP, former Minister for Trade PolicyThe Rt Hon David Davis MP, former Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionThe Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, former Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsSteve Baker MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionAndrew Griffiths MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Small Business Consumers and Corporate ResponsibilityGuto Bebb MP, former Minister for Defence ProcurementTracey Crouch MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport and Civil SocietyJo Johnson MP, former Minister of State for Transport and Minister for LondonThe Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP, former Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionThe Rt Hon Esther McVey MP, former Secretary of State for Work and PensionsSuella Braverman MP, former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the European UnionShailesh Vara MP, former Minister of State for Northern IrelandSam Gyimah MP, former Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation

Government Departments: Procurement

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Draft Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, published on 22 November, what discussions they have had with the Welsh and Scottish Governments about the UK's intention to accede to the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Government Procurement.

lord young of cookham: Cabinet Office officials regularly engage with the devolved administrations on the UK’s GPA accession to update them on our approach and the progress we are making. This engagement occurs at fortnightly ‘operational readiness’ meetings that cover GPA and wider Brexit-related issues. In addition roundtable discussions and teleconferences alongside other Government Departments have been held at various dates throughout 2018 with DA officials on specific GPA issues, as required.

Treasury

Social Security Benefits: Children

the lord bishop of portsmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statistics they published on 28 June, how many (1) families, and (2) children have been affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children in each month since that policy came into effect.

lord bates: For the numbers of children affected by the policy at April 2018, I refer the noble Lord to my response on 25 July 2018 to the Lord Bishop of Durham (HL9479). The next statistical update, covering the position at April 2019, is expected to be released in summer 2019. Figures for additional months are only available at disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Children

the lord bishop of portsmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statistics they published on 28 June, whether they have revised their estimates of (1) the number of families affected, and (2) the Exchequer savings from those families in their original impact assessment of the policy to provide support to a maximum of two children, in each year up to 2020–21.

lord bates: Statistics regarding the number of families affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children were published on 28 June 2018, and relate to the position at 2 April 2018. Figures showing the number of families affected in April 2019 are expected to be released in summer 2019.The latest estimates of the Exchequer savings relating to the policy were published in table 2.2 of the Spring Budget 2017. The relevant figures are shown in the table below. Estimated Exchequer savings from the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children, Spring Budget 2017 basis £m2017-182018-192019-202020-212021-22Savings+310+765+1205+1615+1990

Social Security Benefits: Children

the lord bishop of portsmouth: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 5 February (HL5370), whetherthey have applied the Family Test to the policy to provide support to a maximum of two children; and if so, how the potential impacts on families are being taken into account.

lord bates: The government is committed to supporting families. To achieve this, we introduced the Family Test, which aims to ensure that impacts on family relationships and functioning are recognised early on during the process of policy development and help inform the policy decisions made by Minsters. The Family Test was introduced in 2014, and remains official government policy. The guidance for implementing the Family Test can be found here and is also attached :https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-test-assessing-the-impact-of-policies-on-familiesThe Family Test was considered during the development of the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children in Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit. The published Impact Assessment shows the measure will have a positive impact on overall family stability. The Impact Assessment is attached.   



Family test
(PDF Document, 62.81 KB)




impact asessment 
(PDF Document, 248.3 KB)

Arms Trade: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times the Export Control Act 2002 has been breached when arms have been sold to Israel in the last two years.

lord bates: HMRC has not prosecuted any cases involving the illegal export of military goods from the UK to Israel in the last 2 years (2016/2017).DIT have published statistics covering the same period which show that in 2016 they issued 245 export licences for controlled goods to Israel. The goods covered by those licences were worth £128m. In 2017 DIT issued 234 export licences for controlled goods to Israel. The goods covered by those licences were worth £274m.

Attorney General

Hate Crime: Prosecutions

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to thereply byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 6 December 2017 (HL Deb, col 1051), whether Baroness Vere of Norbiton wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions to ask whether she agrees that the definition of hate crime is broader than what is in statute and on what authority any broadening was based; and if so, what reply she received.

lord keen of elie: Baroness Vere of Norbiton wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on 13 December 2017. The DPP provided her response on 9 January 2018. In her response, the then DPP confirmed that the flagging definition for hate crime was agreed between the CPS and the NPCC (ACPO as it was then) in 2007 and that it is wider than the definition set out in legislation to ensure all relevant cases are captured. The CPS adopted the recommended definition in the Macpherson report published in 1999 as a result of the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. The Macpherson report also recommended that ‘this definition should be universally adopted by the Police, local Government and other relevant agencies’. The recommendations of the Macpherson report were welcomed by the Government at the time and the current Government remains in support of this position. The CPS has worked with police to implement the recommended definition across all strands of hate crime. The CPS takes tackling hate crime seriously and recognises the need to increase public confidence to report. The flagging definition is important in achieving this aim. In order for a crime to be charged and prosecuted as a hate crime, the CPS uses the legal definitions contained in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (CDA 1998) and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA 2003). This means that not every incident that the victim or another person has perceived to be a hate crime will actually be a hate crime in law. In her letter, the then DPP also confirmed that the CPS legal guidance recognises the potential impact of prosecutions on Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to freedom of expression). The CPS must balance the rights of an individual to freedom of speech against the duty of the state to act proportionately and to protect the rights of others.